tool

Wondering how hard it is to replace the clutch on these trucks?

I have never done a clutch on anything except for a Volkswagen Beetle but do almost all if my other mechanic work. I replaced the transmission and transfer case in my 99 but left the bell housing on for simplicity a d never got into the clutch at all.

I have a horrible vibration which I believe may be a failing DMF Since my transfer case is cracked u figure this is the time to get into it since I'm half way there with the transfer case out.

I have a Southbend con o fe waiting to go in with the new upgraded hydraulics kit.

Who's done this? How big of a job was it And how long did it take? Any special tools required?

BigIron70

DMF is removed with the transmission. DMF is unbolted just like a auto trans torque converter. The weight of the trans and the DMF is around 500 LBS. too heavy to muscle out without a heavy duty transmission jack. I have changed many of them and it takes me under 4 hours on a lift using air tools. Check you front drive shaft for binding u-joints that will take out a transfer case very fast.

jmlcolorado

I just did mine a few weeks ago. I to, had never done a clutch.
I had it in and out in about 8 hours, with the truck on the ground, working on a creeper.

I also changed my rear output seal (might as well while your in there) and learned a trick to doing it WITHOUT screwing up the housing or seal face on the crank. Take the entire housing off the back of the motor with the seal in place!

I put in a Con OFE K, with the new flywheel.

If you have a trans jack, your can drop the transfer case, pull it off the jack and set aside (not too heavy and you can get it out from under the truck if you try hard), then put the trans on the jack and push it towards the back of the truck. You won't be able to get the trans out from under the truck without having a lift.

I'll post my "punch list" in a few.

jmlcolorado

-Remove floor console
-Remove dust boot and 4 bolts in shift tower.
-Cover hole on top of trans with towell to prevent dropping stuff into trans.
-Mark current installed locations n driveshafts so they go back the same way.
-Place transfer case into 4x4 to lock transfer case. This will make re-aligning the trans easier.
-Remove front and rear driveshaft (front just pull off the transfer case and wire tie to the frame above the crossmember.
-Remove clutch hydraulics, 2 nuts.
-Remove wiring for reverse lighting.
-remove wire for 4x4 indicator. I forgot to do this
-Remove transfer case
-Remove trans. I'll elaborate on a trick to do this in a minute.
-Remove fork from trans. There is a clip on passengers side, pull off fork.
-inspect fork. Make sure there are not any worn flat spots in the center pivots.
-If flat spots are found, replace fork. (Mind had flat spots but I didn't replace. Hasn't seemed to affect performance.
-Remove 12 o'clock bolt and place bolt in without head (pin). Verify the con OFE has new bolts to replace these. It SHOULD come with them. If it does, take the 12 o'clock bolt out of the clutch, leave all others. Then cut the head off right under the shoulder. Then grind a "flat head" slot in the top.
Install this "pin" so that it will carry the weight of the clutch when the rest are removed. This way you can pull all bolts, then just slide the clutch pack off the pin when your ready.
-Remove bolts from clutch, be careful as there is nothing holding clutch up without bolts.
-Clean trans case. Clean splines. Use scotch brite pad and get into each tooth on splines and section of input shaft. Do not score the splines of the input shaft!
-Check clutch install in input shaft. Should slide on easily. It has to slide smoothly. If its rough, something is catching.
-Lube high temp wheel bearing grease onto input shaft splines. Use something to draw grease in between each tooth.
-With clean hands, check clutch disk on input shaft. Take off, index and check again. This will distribute grease around splines. (I went through a box of golves from this point forward to keep everything CLEAN).
-Now grease groove in bearing. Fill entire groove with grease. High temp wheel bearing grease. If you grease this groove, the throw out bearing will fail and could burn through the clutch pressure forks.
- Remove all excess grease when done.
-Grease the pocket with clip on clutch release fork. Just a little grease will do. Then install retainer clip onto release fork.
-Place a little grease on the center of fork where the bearing contacts. We're the flat spots would be.
-Install clutch release fork into trans.


At this point I did the rear main seal. I did it once, really screwed things up, drove for a week while I gathered parts, then did it again?
I would NOT recommend drilling holes to pull the seal on these trucks!
With the trans off, you can clearly see the seal. There are either 6 or 8 larger bolts going into the back of the engine. These hold the housing on.
It's SO much easier and safer to remove this housing to remove the seal.

-disconnect starter. (You can leave it on the adapter plate, just be mindful that it'll be heavy on that side.
-remove all bolts to adapter plate.
-slide off adapter plate with seal inside still and drop on leg because the starter is heavier then you think.
-Clean the entire housing.
-Find the Cam seal near the top of the housing.
-remove 2 bolts holding the cam seal cover on.
-remove cam seal.
-take note of depth the old seal is installed in the plate. You can use this later to insure confidence in the new main seal install.
-Remove rear main seal carefully from adapter plate.
-Clean entire back side of block and adapter plate with Brake parts cleaner. I never sprayed directly on the engine for fear of getting crap into the oil system. Lots of rags and spray them first.
-Inspect crank for wear grooves or pits.
-If there is a worn groove (felt with finger nail) you will need a different rear main seal with a speedi sleeve from cummins.
-install new cam seal and cover plate.
-install adapter plate without rear main seal.
-install rear main seal.
With a tip from someone here, I got myself a bunch of 3/4" washers. I used 4 of the old flywheel bolts and placed a few washers on each bolt.
-Crank and seal MUST be dry when installing
-Slide guide ring over crank, slide seal over crank, taper towards block.
-Once guide is 1/8" onto crank, press seal as far onto crank by hand. Make sure it is on square!
-Remove guide ring.
-Install a 3 3/4" washers onto 4 flywheel bolts and start the 12 o'clock position a few threads.
-Install metal install tool behind washers.
-Thread in remaining bolts and washers at 3, 6, and 9 o'clock positions.
-Thread in each bolt to finger tight all the way around.
-Grab wrench and begin threading each bolt in 1/4 turn each.
-Half way in, remove bolts and install ring to make sure the seal is going in square.
-Reinstall bolts and washers and continue to turn each 1/4 turn each until washers bottom out on crank.
-Once washers bottom out, set ball peen hammer against seal install tool at the 10 o'clock position and tap with another hammer till the seal sits in another .020". I used calipers the whole time to make sure the seal was square the entire time. If it wasn't, I cranked on a bolt a little more, then the ones around that one till it was all square.
-Use ball peen hammer and tap in seal at 2, 4 and 7 o'clock positions to fully set seal.
-Remove bolts, washers and install ring and continue with final install of clutch, trans ect.

Back to the clutch.
-Install bearing into release fork. Piolot bearing, lettering towards crank.
-Install new clutch release fork. Part number should be on the passenger side. NOT drivers side. Lower left side.
-Now, check all trans dowel sleeves on the housing. Check for burrs. Make sure these are all smooth. If there is a burr, you WILL FIGHT the trans back in palace.
-Install pilot bearing into flywheel. Use a socket and tap into place, or use a driver. Use a buffer between hammer and bearing. (The con OFE already had this installed for me.


Okay......quick break from this post marathon. My fingers are tired.








-

.boB

- Drive truck to your favorite mechanic
- Leave truck there
- Have friend drive you home
- Sometime later, have friend drive you back
- Write a big check
- Drive truck home
- Smile and be happy.

Yeah, I know, it sounds like a joke. But it really isn't. I do most of my own mechanical work. I'v rebuilt many old Mustangs. I built my own race car. I just got finished rebuilding the master cylinders on my Cobra replica a few minutes ago. Tomorrow I'll bleed the system. I'm not a stranger to the garage. I'm usually very happy in the garage.

But there's just some jobs I'm not willing to do. Not because I can't - but because I don't want to. They're back breaking, dirty jobs that are just not fun. By the time you rent/buy the proper tools, and get through the job, you'll wish you hadn't. So I don't. I'd rather be doing something fun - like porting and polishing my new race heads.

If you've done the job before, have a lift, and all the right tools, have all the right parts, and everything goes well, it will take you 8 hours. Otherwise........

But, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

jmlcolorado

Where were we?

-Install flywheel. Use the pin at 12 o'clock position to hold in place. Start the bolts.
-Draw the bolts down in 3 steps. Start with 3/8" ratchet. Then use 1/2" torque wrench set at 1/2 the final torque value (100 lb ft).
-Using a baring tool (or a carefully placed huge standard screwdriver) keep the flywheel when torquing the bolts. Use some muscle, don't want these coming off in a week!
-Clean flywheel with brake clean or rubbing alcohol very well. Do not clean clutch disk.
-Clean the friction surface of pressure plate. ONLY the friction surface, not the pads.
-Install clutch disk noting the flywheel orientation of clutch disk. Engine side vs trans side. I think there was a sticker on mine.
-Start a few bolts to hold in place. New bolts.

This is where it gets tricky. Skimp out on the next few steps and you'll retreat the whole job when you go to stab the trans back in!

-grease the splines on the plastic alignment tool and slide it through the clutch pack and into the flywheel.
-Use alignment tool to line up splines. Lift disk up a bit. Adjust pilot.
-Alignment tool should slide in and out very easily. Begin tightening in a staggered pattern.

I used a 1/4" cordless impact with a nut driver to make loosening and tightening the bolts faster.
You MUST make sure the alignment tool slides freely through the clutch pack and into the flywheel! If you don't, your trans will NEVER go in!
It took me about 4 tries to make sure it was as good as I could get it. By the time I was confident it was good, the tip of the alignment tool just barely caught the flywheel when going in, and when I pulled it out, it popped. Ya know, like when you were a kid and used your finger in your cheek to make that pop sound?

-Final torque 22 ft lbs. tighten in Criss cross pattern.
-Place transmission into a gear by shifting one of the shift forks over from the top of the trans. This will allow you to rotate the input shaft by turning the driveshaft yolk.
-put it all back together the way you found it.


That's it! It really isn't so bad as long as you take your time! Don't rush it, and put aside a whole day for the job.

Here's some part numbers for my 03 and prices along with where I got parts:
Rear main seal - 393-4486 $75.29, cummins rocky Mtn.
Rear Cam seal (square o-ring) - 394-7328 $2.87, cummins
Rear cam housing gasket- 395-7492 $6.05, cummins
Rear main seal housing- 4937231 $24.71, cummins (in case you ruin yours by drilling holes through the main seal. Like I did. )

jmlcolorado

I agree this IS a backbreaking job! And a very dirty one too if you have leaks!
I unfortunately didn't have the money or the downtime to have someone else do it for me. Plus it's a GREAT learning experience.
Personally, I would do it again next time, but porting heads has me feathers all ruffled that work scares me a bit for some reason.

jmlcolorado

I forgot the trans reinstall trick.
Putting the trans back in...... The second time..... Almost killed me!
The first time I had it in the first try in about 10 minutes. Which is unheard of.

So I found out that you really DO NOT want to adjust the X and Y axis on the trans jack once you have the trans started. You THINK you are angling he trans to better slide on but in fact your causing it to bind. I fought the trans for a half hour getting it on and I gave up and went to pull it out to try again. It was bound pretty good. Once it came off, the trans jack had enough slop both directions to throw the entire trans completely off balance!
I was literally stuck under the truck yelling for the wife to slide me the bottle jack I had 2 feet away so I could re balance the trans!
As it was falling over, I ended up jacking the jack to pin the trans to the floor to stabilize it!
I'm 150 lbs, I have a healthy respect for things weighing twice my weight and hovering above my head.

Chain your trans to the jack! And if it has adjustable feet, make sure they are adjusted to hold the trans tight!!!!

The bottom of these trans are curved. There is no flat spot for the jack to hold tight to. This is the part you TAKE YOUR TIME! One screw up here and the trans is laying on its side, under a truck, and you'll have one HECK of a time getting it back on the jack if it didn't take you out with it.

Geeze, I'm long winded tonight.

So back to "the trick".

Once you have the trans started, measure all around between the adapter plate on the engine and the bell housing on the trans. You want these measurements, whatever they are, to be as close as possible as you go in. This becomes especially useful the last few inches.
If you have 3" on the drivers side, and 4" on the passengers side, it will not go in!
Go slowly, and be very mindful of every adjustment! If your on your back, with a borrowed jack, everything will be backwards. You turn one way thinking your going the other way, and the next thing you know, it's all out of whack and waiting to attack you!

BigIron70

Took me longer to read jmlcolorado post then to do the job, if you have done it before that is, truck is on lift and you have a transmission jack under trans. Otherwise you are taking a chance trying to muscle a heavy trans and clutch into place. Believe me I have been a mechanic for over 43 years and I have changed my fair share of clutches in that time. DMF is heavy plus weight of trans unless you have arms like Arnold, I would rent a lift and trans jack for the day, have air tools and sockets necessary to do the job. Good luck

tool

Well I am going to go out and tackle this animal. Southbend Con O FE all parts in place, hope I have everything I need.

No hoist, I have stands and a Transmission jack adapter thing that fits to a floor jack. Hope that's good enough.

jmlcolorado

Might want to call around to your local auto parts stores that rent. They might have a true jack to rent for a good price.
These transmissions aren't just any transmissions. I'd prefer a real jack.

tool

I agree JM, but I live on a ranch in the boonies and this thing is shaking so bad I really dont waht to drive it another inch for fear of further dammage.

If I need other parts or a rental jack I may be travelling by horseback.

jmlcolorado

Bummer. Well hope it all goes well. I've said it before, but its worth saying again, take your time! Doing it twice sucks! I know :/
If you can get your hands on one, and your working with the truck on the ground, grab a creeper so you can slide in and out from under the truck easier.

tool

Does the engine need to be supported while the transmission is removed?

jmlcolorado

Service manual says it does, but I didn't either time and didn't seem to have an issue.
What year is your truck??
I can email the factory service manual if you want.
WAY better then Haynes. Like 2800 pages better.
PM me your email address and I'll send it to ya.